The flickering flas of Hades' Chamber cast long, distorted shadows as Helios stepped forward, his Keyblade shimring faintly in his grip. The oppressive heat pressed down on him, and the sulfur-laden air made every breath feel heavy. At the far end of the chamber, a throne carved from obsidian sat beneath an ominous arch of twisted tal shaped like bones. Reclined casually on it, his blue-fla hair flickering lazily, was Hades, the Lord of the Underworld.
Hades didn't look up imdiately. He seed engrossed in swirling a goblet of so dark, ethereal substance, his face wearing a smug grin.
"Well, well," Hades drawled, his voice oozing sarcasm. "If it isn't the intruder of the hour. Let guess—you're here to complain about the heat? File a noise complaint about the wailing souls? Oh, wait, wait—don't tell . You're here to challenge to a duel! Am I getting warr?"
Helios took a steady breath, his tone asured but firm. "I'm here to make a deal."
That got Hades's attention. He sat up straighter, his fla hair flaring slightly as his dark eyes glead with interest. "A deal, huh?" he said, his tone shifting to one of mock intrigue. "Boy, you mortals just can't get enough of my charming business offers. What's the pitch? Soul for so glory? Eternal youth? Oh, wait, wait—lem guess. You're here for love." He clapped his hands, laughing at his own joke. "Classic."
Helios didn't waver. "I want the heart of Hoder."
Hades froze mid-laugh, his grin faltering for a fraction of a second before he leaned back, stroking his chin theatrically. "Hoder, huh? Now there's a na I haven't heard in, oh, a hot minute. Why would you think she's here. Unless you know about her little… arrangent, do ya?"
"I know she and her classmates made a deal to enter your Underworld," Helios said, narrowing his eyes. "What I don't know is why you still have her heart when she clearly fulfilled her end of the bargain."
At this, Hades's fla flared red, but his grin didn't fade. "Kid, kid, kid," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "You've got it all wrong. They didn't make a deal to co and go, they made a deal to enter. Big difference. And, FYI, she's not exactly in a bargaining position anymore, if you catch my drift."
Helios stepped closer, his gaze unyielding. "So let's renegotiate. You give her heart, and I'll give you sothing you want even more."
Hades's grin returned, wider than ever. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he regarded Helios with mock suspicion. "Oh, this I gotta hear. What could you possibly have that's worth more to than a soul already under my control?"
Helios smirked. "The Underdro."
That got the reaction he was waiting for. Hades's fla erupted into a towering pillar of red fire, his booming laugh echoing through the chamber. "The Underdro? The Underdro? Oh, kid, you really know how to sweet-talk a god!" He stood, pacing excitedly. "Do you know how long I've been trying to get that thing reopened? Zeus and his 'rules'—'Oh, Hades, it's too violent! Oh, Hades, you can't let the dead beat the tar out of each other for sport!' The nerve."
Hades turned sharply, his grin fading as he eyed Helios suspiciously. "But you can't exactly waltz up to my big bro and flip the switch. So spill it—what's the angle?"
Helios kept his tone even. "I'll reopen it for you. I have the ans to bypass Zeus's lock."
Hades's fiery hair flickered as he considered this. "You? You can do that? Forgive if I'm a teensy bit skeptical."
Helios shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "You're free to doubt , but you and I both know reopening the Underdro is the only way you'll ever have it back. So, here's the deal: I reopen it, you give Hoder's heart. Simple as that."
Hades stared at him for a long mont, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his goblet. Finally, he grinned again, this ti with a hint of malice. "Simple, huh? Yeah, sure. But let tell you sothing, kid. Deals with ? They're never simple."
Helios held his ground. "I'm not afraid of the fine print. Do we have a deal or not?"
Hades laughed again, clapping his hands together. "Oh, you've got guts, I'll give you that. All right, you've got yourself a deal. But! Just to make sure you're not jerking my chain, you're reopening the Underdro first. Once I see those gates swinging, I'll hand over what's left of Little Miss Nordic Drama."
Helios nodded. "Fine. But don't try to double-cross . You'll regret it."
Hades's grin widened, his fiery hair flaring once more. "Oh, I like you, kid. You've got spunk! Just rember: nobody out-deals the Lord of the Dead."
As Helios left Hades' Chamber, he couldn't help but recall the tragic tale of Hoder. In his mories of the ga, she fulfilled all the conditions Helios required of a heart. She had a heart belonging to a keyblade wielder, lost all mories of her past life due to her ti in the River Styx, and lastly her heart should be blank; void of both light and darkness.
Hoder and her classmates had found themselves in a surreal world of endless sky and ocean after their deaths. There, they had struck a desperate deal with Hades, granting them passage to the Underworld. But the Underworld was no respite—it was a battlefield. There, Hoder t her brother, Baldr, who had succumbed to darkness.
Helios vividly rembered the scene: Hoder battered, using every ounce of her strength to fight her brother. Baldr's attacks were ruthless, his darkness overpowering, but Hoder refused to give in. She launched a desperate final strike, hoping to free him from the shadows.
Baldr countered, and both siblings fell, their forms crumpling to the cold floor of the Underworld. In her final monts, Hoder reached out to Baldr, her hand trembling, her eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and love. As she faded into light, her voice carried a single, haunting plea: "Co back to the light, Baldr." Her sacrifice while failing to accomplish her initial goal was not in vain, as it weakened Baldr enough for Xehanort to deal the final blow ending the battle and saving lives.
Helios shook the mory from his mind. "Now let's see what Hades has up his sleeve," he mouthed silently. "He'll probably wonder why I want Hoder's heart. If he figures out my reason she'll end up a bargaining chip."
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